novelraw Chapter 159 : Even Deceit Has Its Class (3)
Chapter 159 : Even Deceit Has Its Class (3)
Even Deceit Has Its Class (3)
After passing through the corridor where he met Ali, a massive cavern appeared. Lee Gyeongbok stealthily swept his gaze around before he spoke up.
"Baby spiders came out, so this is really a spider lair."
It was no ordinary cavern.
On the floor, and all along the walls, cocoons woven from spider silk hung everywhere.
― This is one of those boss battles where the underlings pop out, lol.
― Lol, you can tell even without seeing it; it's standard Q-tube fare.
― Being the domain lord of Deceit, I bet her actual combat ability is weak?
― We about to see some godsight logic pop off, right?
No one thought those cocoons were just for show. Most viewers felt the same way.
Lee Gyeongbok stepped into the cavern. The moment he did, he sensed the loss of control.
"This place is......"
Durante stealthily scanned the surroundings before his face hardened. He then examined the inside of a shattered cocoon.
― Hold up?
― Oh, what the heck;;;
― Why is Durante here?
― What's this, what the heck
― Is this a fake Durante, like the Fake Saint?
― What, at least give him some clothes!
― So indecent, so indecent
Inside was Durante, completely naked—not a thread on him. But unlike the fake Beatrice before, there was no hint of life about him.
"Don't tell me that's it?"
With a grim expression, durante looked around once more. Then he split open the nearest cocoon with his greatsword.
Of course, inside was another fake Durante.
"This is... really distasteful."
Clicking his tongue as he eyed his own perfect doppelgangers, durante showed his disgust. Thankfully, the fakes showed no reaction.
Even when their eyelids were flipped open, their eyes were hollow, and they didn't respond to any stimulus.
'It's that feeling again.'
In that moment, Lee Gyeongbok's divine energy sensed a threat. Judging by the numbers, it was definitely baby spiders.
As expected, baby spiders began to burst out from the walls.
― Oh shoot! Here they come again.
― There are way too many of them!
― I'm gonna develop arachnophobia from this
― The swarms are even creepier than the big ones.
― Wish I had a molotov right now, lol
― Is he gonna use Tsukuyomi again?
The baby spiders began firing webs. But unlike expected, this time the webs weren't green.
Instead, familiar white spider silk tangled densely in the air.
"Ah, durante-nim......!"
A thin voice called from above.
Its owner appeared, stepping down from a spiderweb platform in the air.
She was a woman with jet-black hair standing in stark contrast to her pale skin, wearing a pure white robe woven from spider silk.
― The domain lord of Deceit is a girl?
― Maybe she's actually nice?
― Okay, I guess I like spiders.
― Wait, why did I switch sides so fast! Lol!
― How did the fall happen faster than light?
― Isn't she a Saint-nuna kidnapper, for real!
While viewers were momentarily stunned, durante immediately pulled his pistol's trigger.
Shots rang out, but the bullets didn't reach the domain lord of Deceit.
A curtain of spiderweb had appeared in front of her, catching every bullet.
"You still play a lot of tricks, I see."
The domain lord of Deceit smiled leisurely while approaching. In contrast, durante didn't bother to hide his displeasure.
"Are you the domain lord of Deceit?"
"Hmm, are we pretending it's the first time we've met? Even for you, durante-nim, that kind of joke isn't my style."
"I don't do jokes."
"I see. I'll play along just this once."
She stopped and, with a demure posture, greeted them.
"Nice to meet you. I'm the domain lord of Deceit, arachne."
The familiar name immediately sparked chatter among the viewers.
― Arachne? That Arachne?
― Looking at Midas and Ajax, must be a mythological motif again
― No wonder there are so many spiders, lol
― Arachne nunaaaaaa
― Wait, is everybody a nuna to these guys!?
― Stop the spider crew!
Durante clicked his tongue at her formal greeting.
"Midas was an object of my revenge, ajax gave me strength. So what did I do for you?"
A sardonic question.
But Arachne's reaction was strange.
"Seriously... you really want me to say it myself?"
Her evasive glance and bashful smile stunned not only Durante but even the viewers.
― What? What's she implying?
― Isn't she using seduction because she's the domain lord of Deceit?
― Lol, there's a real chance
― Alright, looks like a bunch of troopers already fell for it
― You can't trick the ultimate man, lol!
― He's already immune thanks to Saint-nuna
The prevailing theory in chat was that Arachne was acting to throw off Durante's guard.
But Lee Gyeongbok thought differently.
'No, this feels like genuine affection.'
The feeling Arachne gave off, as caught by his divine energy, was completely different from the baby spiders.
Still, he couldn't let his guard down—Ajax had undergone a change of attitude as the story progressed too, after all.
"Come to think of it, I haven't called out to you this way for a long time."
Arachne smiled, sneaking glances at Durante as she spoke.
"Welcome, darling."
It was just two short syllables, but their impact was huge.
-?
― What did she just say?
― Darling? Daaaaaaaaaaarling?
― Has he been two-timing this whole time?!
― How dare you threaten our Saint-nuna's position?
― I refuse to accept this kind of heroine!
― Heroine outta nowhere without any setup? Not happening!
― Is the Devil fandom acting like a father-in-law now, lol
― No one takes heroine selection as seriously as the troopers, lol
Viewers protested instantly. Not that their outrage lasted long.
"...... Did you just call me darling?"
"Of course, darling. Do you know how lonely I've been with you gone?"
Arachne's smile grew even prouder as she stretched her arms wide.
"Didn't you see how much I missed you? I might've made a few too many, but I couldn't help it."
Durante's gaze moved from the fake Durantes to the other cocoons. The cavern was covered in what had to be hundreds of cocoons.
― That's way, way too many!
― So she's a secret figure collector?
― Everyone needs at least one life-size figure!
― What kind of figure is that, lol
Arachne's eyes glimmered as she declared,
"Not a single day, not even a single hour, did I forget you. My joy was remembering every last bit of you, from your hair to your toes."
Her smile twisted further, becoming altogether grotesque.
"But these shells can't compare to the real darling. The love of a broken sinner can't even imitate my darling's love."
Chat's mood flipped on a dime.
― I knew something felt off, lol
― Yandere alert, what the heck
― Yandarachne, yikes
― Knew she was out of her mind, lol
― How is that a bad thing? At least she's giving attention? Better than being ignored!
― Yeah, if you've never gotten any attention, how would you know it's too much......
― Guess only I was being sincere, again
― Actually, chat is a domain of Deceit in itself
― Seeing the troopers get genuinely scared is hilarious, lol
Once Arachne showed her true colors, the situation clarified.
Durante couldn't hide his disgust.
"Even if I have no memory, there's no way I'd fall for someone like you."
"... Darling?"
"Where is Beatrice?"
At that, arachne's face turned icy cold, so much so it was hard to believe she'd been blushing just before.
― Freak-out button ON!
― Mentioning another woman in front of a yandere?
― Oh, wow, he's driving her nuts!
― This is how the top alpha breaks through!
― You dare, without even a single romance point!
A forced, twisted smile spread across her hardened face, making her look even more unhinged.
"You're joking with me, darling. Did you seriously ask about another woman in front of me? Oh, I get it—you want to make me jealous?"
A shudder passed over Arachne's lips, and her wide eyes were fixed on Durante.
"I understand. If you want Beatrice, there's nothing I can do."
― Wow... how can someone so pretty look so scary
― Lol, scarier than any devil so far
― Did she give up so easily?
― Oh? Maybe she'll just let Beatrice go?
― No way, she'd never actually let go, lol
― Never, something's about to go down for sure
A few viewers wondered if she might actually release Beatrice, but most didn't buy it.
As if to answer that, arachne made a sudden move.
"What's this...?"
All the baby spiders launched webs—but at Arachne, not Durante.
In an instant, she was encased in a cocoon, which began to writhe. The cocoon split open to reveal an unexpected sight.
"Beatrice?"
Durante, too, voiced his confusion.
The one to emerge was not Arachne, but Beatrice herself.
"You prefer this form, don't you? Right?"
Her appearance and voice were Beatrice's, but from her words and the situation, it was clear this was Arachne.
"Just wait a bit longer. It'll take some time before I can digest her properly."
"Digest?"
"Yes."
Arachne glanced back, letting out a soft laugh.
"Once I absorb Beatrice's memories and soul, I'll be the partner you desire. I'll even give up the name Arachne."
With a swoon, she hugged her cheeks and continued,
"I'll become your one and only Beatrice."
Viewers were horrified.
― What the hell!!
― Why is this development so wild, lol
― My old friend, madness!
― So she's leeching off the Saint-nuna?
― And not just leeching—she's draining her soul!
― What the heck is a soul-straw, lol
― Stop tormenting our nuna!
― Is this a time attack now?
― Lol, if it's Godple, he'll just save her anyway
― Let's trust in our streamer!
Even amid the excitement, the cutscene wasn't over yet.
Durante clicked his tongue toward Arachne and spoke up.
"Nonsense."
"... Excuse me?"
"It doesn't matter what form you take. Our relationship won't change."
He raised his greatsword, pointing it at Arachne.
"You and I—we're nothing but hunter and prey."
― Dang! That's it, lol
― Demonic social distancing ON!
― Doing the ol' distance thing, lol
― Nope, nothing can make it happen
-???: Even if I like someone, it could just hurt them
-???: Not planning to date anyone right now
-???: I'm definitely going to date someone! And it's not you!
― Enough with the trauma!
― The troopers are the only real victims of Arachne, lol
Viewers erupted at Durante's resolute answer.
"How...?"
Arachne's body trembled.
"I waited in this hell only, only for you! How could you, how could you do this to me?"
Distorted, she broke into a gruesome expression—not quite a laugh, not quite a sob.
"You—you're abandoning me too? No, I won't allow it. No one's ever going to abandon me!"
Her shrill scream echoed through the cave. At the same time, cocoons split open everywhere.
Baby spiders on the walls burrowed in, soon dragging out fake Durantes wrapped in spider silk.
"Heheheh... I've got as many shells as I want. Once I get your soul, darling..."
With a maniacal laugh, arachne rolled her eyes.
"We'll be together forever."
And with that, she vanished up a spiderweb, into a darkness whose depth could not be gauged.
"I knew it would end up like this."
Lee Gyeongbok felt the control return and made a remark.
― Wow... the insanity is unreal
― Feels like a horror movie now, lol
― Lol, the mood totally shifted to horror
― This is why dating is scary
― Lol, this is totally why I don't date! Because it's scary!
― Troopers, please use "don't" and "can't" appropriately!
Amused by the reactions, Lee Gyeongbok let out a slight grin and entered combat.
As the fake Durantes charged all at once, Lee Gyeongbok quickly assessed the situation.
"The baby spiders will be the real nuisance here."
The fake Durantes themselves weren't very threatening. The greater issue was the baby spiders firing webs from every direction.
White spider silk flew from all sides, trying to bind him.
"You can block this with the Ajax shield if you like."
He demonstrated as he explained—deploying Ajax's shield to block incoming webs.
"As you know, it has a time limit. You should try to save it, just in case."
With that, he drew his pistol.
"Or, you can handle it this way instead."
He squeezed the trigger without hesitation. Shots echoed through the cavern.
And the result—
― What???
― Did he shoot the webs?
― Professor! I'll just stick to the shield......
― This is the 'perfect-frugality' mindset?
― We're all master hoarders, after all!
Webs and bullets collided mid-air and fell to the floor.
Seeing chat's reactions, Lee Gyeongbok chuckled.
"It's not that hard, honestly. And there's something else you'll want the shield for."
Before viewers even asked, he got ahead with the answer.
As he cut down a fake Durante that had come close, waves of baby spiders erupted from the split corpse.
He deployed the shield without delay, knocking the clinging spiders off to the floor.
With a popcorn-popping sound, the ground was soon awash in green.
― Oh, so the fake Durantes were traps
― Let's just call the fake Durantes 'Gurante' for short
― Gurante, lol
― The domain lord of Deceit really uses deceit tactics, huh
― His reaction speed is crazy, lol
― PeRante should just always have the shield up, lol
― Besides, there's still the actual fight with Arachne up ahead
― Yeah, who knows what'll happen then
― But how do you make Arachne show herself?
Wonder mingled with realization among the viewers. With Arachne hiding, the situation was nothing but disadvantage.
Lee Gyeongbok, however, felt no concern.
"It's simple."
Even as he dealt with the fake Durantes, he replied without hurry.
"You just have to make it so she has no choice but to come down."
Smiling, he separated Ali's sword from his greatsword—wielding both in his hands.
That alone filled the chat with laughter.
― You doing it, trooper?
― Unique Sword dual wielding? Unmissable!
― Lol, every Gurante is dead meat
― If you wipe out all the Gurantes, she'll have to come down, right?
― Greatsword in one hand, rapier in the other—sick
The viewers' expectations were high—and Lee Gyeongbok never disappointed.
The two blades swept around him like a storm. Any fake Durante who came near was massacred in the blink of an eye.
― Even the baby spiders just get swept away by the wind pressure, lol
― At this point, who even needs the shield!
― Professor, why is the demonstration so different from the lecture!?
― Damn, crushing the spiders with a greatsword is so satisfying
― Is this true one-shotting? What have I been watching until now?
They marveled at the spectacle—but forgot one thing.
Lee Gyeongbok always performed beyond expectations.
― What did I just see? Did he just catch a flying greatsword with a whip?
― Doesn't even want to wait for the enemies to come
― Greatsword for midrange Spldam + sword for close combat
― This is 'perfect dual wielding'
Even after clearing the area, Lee Gyeongbok didn't stop. Instead, he threw his greatsword at a far-off enemy, ensnared the hilt with his whip, and swung it.
Any fake Durante traced by its trajectory was cleaved apart. Others charged in from the opposite side, but not a single one landed a blow.
"This is the last one."
Lee Gyeongbok then hurled Ali's sword at the final target.
"I'll give Arachne a clear signal."
With a tearing sound, the spinning blade soared.
Right afterward, he squeezed his pistol's trigger.
The moment the blade embedded in the final fake's head, the bullet struck the hilt.
Stopped mid-blow, the blade pierced through his skull, leaving the last fake Durante limp like a cut marionette.
― What was that for a finale, lol
― He's totally serious about performance!
― Felt like I was at a concert, lol
― I just want some physical prowess for a day, sigh
― Seriously, this guy makes any game look fun
With a smile, Lee Gyeongbok reeled the sword back with his whip.
'There she comes.'
No sooner had he finished than his divine energy caught Arachne's movement. But before that, something more noticeable happened.
― What? Is that green smoke?
― It's illusion gas!
― Gas, gas, gas!
― MOPP Level 4!
― Is this a chemical attack or what, lol
A green mist began to spread through the cave.
Everyone knew what it meant from experience.
Lee Gyeongbok and the viewers braced for a change.
"... It's the same?"
But the surroundings remained unchanged. Confused, the viewers' attention quickly shifted.
Arachne, in Beatrice's guise, rushed at Lee Gyeongbok.
― Time for some real education!
― Is she really just charging straight in?
― Guess even as a domain lord, her combat skills suck?
― Lol, this'll be over instantly
-???: Reckless charge! Reckless charge!
― Get rid of her, fast!
― If it's on par with Arrow of Destruction, any dragonborn could handle her
― Spring comes for the introverts too!
The viewers relaxed.
Not only because they believed in Lee Gyeongbok, but also because Arachne's attack was so blatantly direct.
Especially after witnessing Lee Gyeongbok's skill just now, there was no doubt about the outcome.
At least, until he made no move even as Arachne drew near.
― Hyung?!
― What are you doing!?
― Godple is creating tension in this loose chat!
― Stop toying with the troopers!
― Why are you doing this!?
Just then, Lee Gyeongbok's sword moved.
But not toward Arachne.
-???
― What is this?
― A wound in midair?
Where his blade swung, there was nothing—but the empty space split open and deep red blood sprayed out.
Lee Gyeongbok wiped the blood off the blade and said,
"Looks like it's Phase 2. What you see and hear aren't the same anymore."
The direction Arachne was charging from, and where the footsteps truly sounded, were entirely different.
It was something the relieved viewers hadn't noticed.
― Huh?
― Wait, is everything on screen just an illusion?
― Damn, he noticed immediately?
― This ain't like stealth where you can just sorta spot the difference, right?
― Is he tracking her by sound alone?
― A man who never lets his guard down...!
― This is what we call 'perfect vigilance.'
Smiling at the awe in chat, Lee Gyeongbok let out a stifled laugh.
"This might be kind of hard if you're new. Since sounds are all echoing in the cave, you have to pay pretty close attention."
With all the echoes in the cave, it was hard to pinpoint the direction unless you were really focused.
Before the viewers could say more, Lee Gyeongbok deployed the shield.
With a clang, something struck the shield's barrier. At the same time, he stabbed into empty air.
"If you're struggling, I recommend blocking with the shield first, then counterattacking."
And with his words, deep red blood spilled from nowhere.
-???
― He's giving this commentary while tracking by sound?
― You said it was hard! You said so!
― Not talking about himself, right?
― Lol, when the professor says it's hard, he means for the students, not for himself
― Lol, that's clearly 'other people's business'
― This is really stylish, though!
The viewers showered Lee Gyeongbok with praise for demonstrating the boss strategy so casually.
"I think successive counters trigger new phases in the fight."
Arachne's illusions increased, along with the number of footsteps. The viewers marveled once more.
― What? So it's not just one set of footsteps?
― Now that's really overkill
― I thought maybe I could mimic this, but apparently notㅠ
― Lol, even PeRante could maybe do it with just one audio cue...
― This is too much!
Out of all the hallucinations, only one was real. But the viewers had no confidence they could pick it out.
Lee Gyeongbok thought otherwise.
"No, you guys can do it too."
He smiled, sheathing his sword with eyes closed, hand poised on the hilt.
Viewers knew immediately what this stance meant.
― Unique Sword Sword Draw charging up!
― He looks cool just standing still!
― Perfect focus, oN!
― Lol, this is over now
― Killer smile with perfect focus mode? Can't resist!
Lee Gyeongbok could sense it.
The developers weren't just making fake sounds: Arachne's position, as detected by his divine energy, was shifting rapidly—like the teleportation mechanic seen with Ali's illusions.
'No matter.'
There was no need to rely solely on his divine energy.
With his sight cut off, his other senses grew sharper. Like pulling a fine thread, his senses collected every detail from around him.
This might be Arachne's spider nest—but—
'She's coming.'
What the spider web of Lee Gyeongbok's intuition caught was actually Arachne approaching.
'Now...!'
He moved.
No flourish. He simply swung both swords—one horizontal, one vertical.
Yet to the viewers' eyes, it was so fast they didn't even see the blades leave the sheath.
-?
― When did he draw?
― Stream lag?
― Wild speed, holy cow
In the next instant, a crimson cross appeared in the air.
It looked as though space itself had been cleaved apart, with Lee Gyeongbok still calmly smiling, eyes closed.
That one scene burned itself into the viewers' minds.
After the sound of something splitting, the illusions vanished. The fakes disappeared, and Arachne's body, quartered into four neat pieces, lay on the ground.
― Oh my god, he totally owned her, lol
― How did he slice her into an exact four pieces?
-???: I could do this with my eyes closed (and he did)
― Blind swordsman, pertoichi, amazing
― Lol, this could be a cutscene and it'd be believable
― That perfectly calm expression suits Durante so much
― As always, it's just Purple confidence
― This is true style!
-'The real thing' always carries weight
― What exactly is carrying the weight...?
― The ultimate alpha is always centered!
― Lol, can you even live a normal life like that?
Lee Gyeongbok opened his eyes and smiled gently. The deluge of praise in chat and the exhilaration were directly felt.
"It's nothing difficult. It's just a simple process of elimination—eliminating unnecessary sensations."
He started to explain, intending to stay humble and guide his viewers.
― Lol, this place has a good course menu
― True, and he immediately brings out dessert after the perfect victory
― Do we need a smurf that doesn't use sight in boss battles!?
― This is the realm of 'perfect sixth sense.'
― As expected of the Unique Sword great hero!
― Trooper-man, what can we do, when we can't see a thing?
― We just watch. Recharge the donation wallet, devil fandom!
― What's with the popcorn joke, lol
― But they're right, lol
To viewers, even his humility came off as something beyond ordinary mastery.